I Grew Up In Don Mills Wiki
Not Your Average Wiki This wiki is for those of us that grew up in the Don Mills area of Ontario, Canada. Can you remember: - when Don Mills Road was only 4 lanes wide? - Can you remember when there was a BP gas station on Don Mills Rd. between Lawrence & York Mills? - Can you remember when Don Mills Center was an open air mall? - Can you remember when "The Beer Store" was "Brewers Retail"? - Can you remember the bowling alley? movie theater? bingo hall bubble?... What else can you remember? Rather than present a lot of statistics and your typical reference material, this wiki provides a lot of information that is not necessarily documented anywhere. It is more of a pop culture diary, if you will -- almost like the pages of a journal from the original Don Mills residents and their families. To be sure, the stage is set with some basic information about the area. However, within these pages, you'll learn more about residents' experiences -- the trials and tribulations -- of growing up in Don Mills. One underlying theme that will repeat throughout these pages, is a great sense of pride and, oftentimes, a great longing to return to the way it was. Enjoy this stroll down memory lane with those of us who Grew Up In Don Mills. Don Mills Don Mills boasts the pride of being Canada's first planned community. Construction of the first houses began in 1953, building what would become a self-supporting new town, at the time, just outside of Toronto proper. It was to consis of residential, commercial and industrial areas. The design was so successful that towns across Canada -- and around the world -- followed its model. In 1951, industrialist E.P. Taylor began planning the Yorktown community (as it was first known), and it was announced on March 11, 1953. The community was to be built on about 8.35 km2 (3.22 sq mi) of farmland centered at the intersection of Don Mills Road and Lawrence Avenue East, with an expected cost of $200 million. Design principles The design of Don Mills was based on five planning principles, which had not been implemented in Canada before: #The neighbourhood principle – which broke down the community into four neighbourhood quadrants, all surrounding a regional shopping centre, Don Mills Centre, at the southwest corner of Don Mills and Lawrence. Each quadrant was to contain a school, a church, and a park. #Separation of pedestrian and vehicle traffic – which was accomplished through the creation of a network of pedestrian paths providing easy access through parks to area schools and the town centre, while roads were designed to slow vehicular traffic through the use of winding roads, T-intersections, and cul-de-sacs. #Promotion of modernist architecture and the modern aesthetic – Don Mills Development controlled the architectural design, colours, and materials of all buildings in Don Mills. As well, the corporation insisted that builders use company-approved architects who had been educated according to Bauhaus principles, to prevent the project from deteriorating into a typical post-war subdivision of builder's homes. #Creation of a greenbelt – linked to a system of neighbourhood parks that would preserve the beauty of the surrounding ravines. #Integration of industry into the community – which followed Howard's ideals for the Garden City. Planners felt that it was important for residents to live and work in the same satellite town so that Don Mills would not become a bedroom community. A sizable number of high residential densities—rental townhouses and low-rise apartments—was essential if the town were to attract a cross-section of residents working in local industries. Home situation design was also influential to subsequent subdivisions in Canada. The homes were located on square lots with long street frontages. Houses were previously situated on rectangular lots, narrow end to the street. The square lots meant that houses faced the street with their long side, but had less deep backyards. The developers also affected two highway projects being developed concurrently. The 'Toronto Bypass', now known as Ontario Highway 401 does not have an interchange at Don Mills Road due to the development. The Don Valley Parkway (DVP), built in part to service the community, was originally to be built on Don Mills Road, but was moved East to the Woodbine Avenue right-of-way north of Lawrence Avenue. Landmarks The local high school is Don Mills Collegiate Institute, which opened in 1959. In 2003, at the Don Mills 50th anniversary celebrations, the parkette at the corner of Don Mills and Lawrence was renamed the Macklin Hancock Parkette. Elementary/public schools include: Norman Ingram Memorial School; Mallow Road Public School (now home to La Citadelle); Overland Public School (now Overland Learning Centre); and, Rippleton Public School. There are a number of private schools in the area, including The Giles School; and, Seneca Hill Private School. There are also a number of Montessori schools as well as countless daycare centres. The main shopping centre is the Shops at Don Mills, a large mall located at the southwest corner of Lawrence Avenue and Don Mills Road on the site of the former Don Mills Centre. There was a strip mall at 49 The Donway West, which served the community well, between the demolition of Don Mills Centre and the opening of the Shops at Don Mills. Barber Greene Square, which is currently being redeveloped, is at the intersection of Barber Greene Road and Don Mills Road. Loblaws Real Canadian Superstore is at the corner of Don Mills Road and Wynford Drive. Currently under development (as at October 2013) is a shopping centre at Mallard Road and Don Mills Road. Parks include: Edwards Gardens,a botanical garden located on the southwest corner of Leslie Street and Lawrence Avenue East; Bond Park which has sports fields and an arena; and Moccasin Trail Park where a remote, undeveloped section of ravine can be reached by a pedestrian tunnel under the DVP (from this location, you can easily walk a short distance to get a first-hand look at the Rainbow Tunnel). On Wynford Drive is the soon-to-be-completed Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and a public park. Memories Much of what made and kept Don Mills a great place to grow up can be attributed to the original residents and their families and their desire to preserve all that was good about this "new town". Despite inevitable changes that have taken place over the years, there is that great sense of "if it ain't broke, don't mess with it", that will forever maintain that sense of pride we take in saying, "I Grew Up In Don Mills" (see the corresponding Facebook group that is the foundation of this wiki,*http://www.facebook.com/groups/3395185011/). One such memory is Windfields Farms Category:Browse